第44章 ARSENIC A LA BRETONNE(1)

On Tuesday, the 1st of July, in the year 1851, two gentlemen, sober of face as of raiment, presented themselves at the office of the Procureur- General in the City of Rennes.There was no need for them to introduce themselves to that official.They were well-known medical men of the city, Drs Pinault and Boudin.The former of the two acted as spokesman.

Dr Pinault confessed to some distress of mind.He had been called in by his colleague for consultation in the case of a girl, Rosalie Sarrazin, servant to an eminent professor of law, M.Bidard.In spite of the ministrations of himself and his colleague, Rosalie had died.The symptoms of the illness had been very much the same as in the case of a former servant of M.Bidard's, a girl named Rose Tessier, who had also died.With this in mind they had persuaded the relatives of Rosalie to permit an autopsy.They had to confess that they had found no trace of poison in the body, but they were still convinced the girl had died of poisoning.With his colleague backing him, Dr Pinault was able to put such facts before the Procureur-General that that official almost at once reached for his hat to accompany the two doctors to M.Bidard's.

The door of the Professor's house was opened to them by Helene Jegado, another of M.Bidard's servants.She was a woman of forty odd, somewhat scraggy of figure and, while not exactly ugly, not prepossessing of countenance.Her habit of looking anywhere but into the face of anyone addressing her gave her rather a furtive air.

Having ushered the three gentlemen into the presence of the Professor, the servant-woman lingered by the door.

We have come, M.Bidard,'' said the Procureur, on a rather painful mission.One of your servants died recently--it is suspected, of poisoning.''

I am innocent!''

The three visitors wheeled to stare, with the Professor, at the grey- faced woman in the doorway.It was she who had made the exclamation.

Innocent of what?'' demanded the Law officer.No one has accused you of anything!''

This incautious remark on the part of the servant, together with the facts already put before him by the two doctors and the information he obtained from her employer, led the Procureur-General to have her arrested.Helene Jegado's past was inquired into, and a strange and dreadful Odyssey the last twenty years of her life proved to be.It was an Odyssey of death.

Helene was born at Plouhinec, department of Morbihan, on (according to the official record) 28 prairial,'' in the eleventh year of the republic (1803).Orphaned at the age of seven, she was sheltered by the cure of Bubry, M.Raillau, with whom two of her aunts were servants.Sixteen years later one of those aunts, Helene Liscouet, took Helene with her into service with M.Conan, cure at Seglien, and it was here that Helene Jegado's evil ways would appear first to become manifest.A girl looking after the cure's sheep declared she had found grains of hemp in soup prepared for her by Helene.

It was not, however, until 1833 that causing death is laid at her charge.In that year she entered the service of a priest in Guern, one Le Drogo.

In the space of little more than three months, from the 28th of June to the 3rd of October, seven persons in the priest's household died.All those people died after painful vomitings, and all of them had eaten food prepared by Helene, who nursed each of them to the last.The victims of this fatal outbreak of sickness included Helene's own sister Anna (apparently on a visit to Guern from Bubry), the rector's father and mother, and Le Drogo himself.This last, a strong and vigorous man, was dead within thirty-two hours of the first onset of his illness.Helene, it was said, showed the liveliest sorrow over each of the deaths, but on the death of the rector was heard to say, This won't be the last!'' Nor was it.Two deaths followed that of Le Drogo.

Such a fatal outbreak did not pass without suspicion.The body of the rector was examined by Dr Galzain, who found indications of grave disorder in the digestive tracts, with inflammation of the intestines.His colleague, Dr Martel, had suspicions of poison, but the pious sorrow of Helene lulled his mind as far as she was concerned.

We next find Helene returned to Bubry, replacing her sister Anna inthe service of the cure there.In three months three people died: Helene's aunt Marie-Jeanne Liscouet and the cure's niece and sister.This last, a healthy girl of about sixteen, was dead within four days, and it is to be noted that during her brief illness she drank nothing but milk from the hands of Helene.But here, as hitherto, Helene attended all the sufferers.Her grief over their deaths impressed every one with whom she came in contact.

From Bubry Helene went to Locmine.Her family connexion as servants with the clergy found her room for three days in the rectory, after which she became apprentice to a needlewoman of the town, one Marie- Jeanne Leboucher, with whom she lived.The Widow Leboucher was stricken ill, as also was one of her daughters.Both died.The son of the house, Pierre, also fell ill.But, not liking Helene, he refused her ministrations, and recovered.By this time Helene had become somewhat sensitive.

I'm afraid,'' she said to a male relative of the deceased sempstress,that people will accuse me of all those deaths.Death follows me wherever I go.'' She quitted the Leboucher establishment in distress.

A widow of the same town offered her house room.The widow died, having eaten soup of Helene's preparing.On the day following the Widow Lorey's death her niece, Veuve Cadic, arrived.The grief-stricken Helene threw herself into the niece's arms.

My poor girl!'' exclaimed the Veuve Cadic.

Ai--but I'm so unhappy!'' Helene grieved.Where-ever I go-- Seglien, Guern, Bubry, Veuve Laboucher's--people die!

She had cause for grief, sure enough.In less than eighteen months thirteen persons with whom she had been closely associated had died of violent sickness.But more were to follow.